TKS Preflight check

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Bryce
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Re: TKS Preflight check

Post by Bryce »

Also, for the low pressure warning. This is normal. High preasure is not normal. The low pressure warning goes away once the system is fully purged of air and full of fluid, causing some backpressure on the pumps. If you get a high pressure warning then turn the system off before you ruin a pump or two (unless you're actually using it for ice protection, then exit since a pump failure may happen next). As far as one prop dripping before the other, it's just a matter of length of piping from the pump to each propeller. Also, if one of the props doesn't have a blade pointed down, the bottom of the slinger ring has to fill up to where the prop blade nozzle is before it will drip (when running the system on the ground).
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Chris
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Re: TKS Preflight check

Post by Chris »

I don't think anybody is running the de-ice for every pre-flight. I do the low-pressure alarm check and also run it on low for a few minutes after engine start if I think I might need it during flight.

I try to run it for 10-15 minutes at least once every 30-60 days when it's otherwise not being used. I will typically start it at the beginning of a longer flight and turn it off shortly after I see fluid starting to coat the far end of both wings. The majority will shed during the remainder of the flight, but as Bryce noted, there will invariably be some residual drips for a couple of days afterwards as gravity does its thing.
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mfdutra
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Re: TKS Preflight check

Post by mfdutra »

This thing is a mess and it’s very slippery, so be careful yourself and passengers. When I was flying a FIKI Cirrus, the practice was to run every 30 days in the beginning of the flight. When you see all panels wet, turn it off and fly for a while, so most of it dries out. There will still be some residual, but not too much. If you land with the anti icing running (sometimes you need it, of course), it will be a mess.

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sedatedokc
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Re: TKS Preflight check

Post by sedatedokc »

Can someone confirm the TKS check can be done on battery power as part of the preflight check? While walking around the aircraft, flip de ice switch to NORM, watch and confirm TKS liquid is coming out?
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mfdutra
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Re: TKS Preflight check

Post by mfdutra »

sedatedokc wrote: Mon Oct 30, 2023 8:48 pm Can someone confirm the TKS check can be done on battery power as part of the preflight check? While walking around the aircraft, flip de ice switch to NORM, watch and confirm TKS liquid is coming out?
Yep. It works.
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